What do the Scriptures Say?

from the Church of Christ in Richmond Indiana

to the Youth of America
September 7, 2008
Why?
When one is tempted the question they need to ask is, “Why?” That is, why
does Satan want me to sin? The answer is, to make merchandise of you. That
is to use you for his purposes. Peter notes the actions of false teachers: “But
there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false
teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even
denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom
the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they
with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long
time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” 2 Peter 2:1-3 (KJV)

Satan wants to use you to further his wickedness. He wants you to promote
his cause. Therefore, throughout your life he will try to get you to work with
him in the effort to get others to sin.

We must understand there is a great deal of “behind the scenes action” in

trying to get people to sin. Paul said: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the
Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye
may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Ephes. 6:10-12 (KJV)

Although we fight Satan on a personal basis, the reason sin is available is

because others are supporting it. People of whom we do not know their
names nor their faces. The local drug dealer has a name and a face that
some recognize. However, the person who supplies his supplier is probably
not known by the everyday user. If we followed the trail to the individual who
actually grows or makes the drugs, few people could actually recognize him.
What is being noted is an industry. Satan is at the head of the corporation
and the humans are his staff. When we support a sin we support his
corporation. Our money funds his efforts to tempt others to sin. If we
purchase alcohol, that money, our money goes for advertising, research &
development, salaries… with the hopes (from the company) to grow into
other areas and get more customers. Even the crimes people commit when
drunk; theft, murder, sexual assault, assault & battery… are all supported by
us when we support alcoholism in the smallest amount. This is one way Satan
makes merchandise of us.

When Paul notes the failure of the Gentiles, he lists a host of sins that they
commit and notes the punishment they deserve: “Therefore God gave them
over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading
of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie,
and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is
forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful
lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In
the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and
were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with
other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of
God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be
done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and
depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are
gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent
ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless,
heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those
who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very
things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:24-32 (NIV)

Note it is not just the person that commits the sin that is guilty of death, but
also those who approve of their actions. This is why we cannot support
sinners in their sin. Years ago, people were supporting homosexuals when
they, “came out of their closet.” The sinner and his supporter will face the
same judgment. The one who is supports the ones committing the sin is
being merchandised by Satan to promote and fund the sin.

Consider abortion. We may remember the Supreme Court case, Roe vs.
Wade, that allows women to kill their unborn babies, but what of the people
who voiced their opinions to the Supreme Court for its passage as a law? One
person did not make the change. It took many people to make the change.
People (lobbyists) had to influence the Supreme Court to change the law.
There are those who support abortion and promote abortion for Satan. From
the actual case of Roe vs. Wade to changing the word, “abortion” (a harsh
sounding term) to “terminating a pregnancy” (something that sounds much
nicer) are Satan and his supporters doing his work.

Consider some of Satan’s descriptive word changes: Drugs? No, it’s, “only a
little weed.” Drunk? No, he just had “one drink to many.” Cocaine? No, it’s a
“recreational drug.” Pornography? No, it just has, “adult content.” Not to
mention Satan’s reason for participating in such: “After all, everybody’s doing
it…”

Why?
Why make it sound innocent and wholesome? Why have your peers pressure
you to sin? Because Satan wants to make merchandise of you. Satan wants
you to sin and he wants you to promote his cause thus tempting others to
sin. Why? Because he is a liar and a murderer. Jesus described him to the
sinful Jews, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will
do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his
own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
John 8:44 (KJV)

If Satan can get us to sin, he can also use our association with the Lord to
encourage others to speak against the church. When the Jews did not obey
God, it allowed the Gentiles the opportunity to blaspheme: “For the name of
God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.” Romans
2:24 (KJV)
The word blaspheme means: “to vilify; specially to speak impiously :-
(speak) blaspheme (-er, -mously, -my), defame, rail on, revile, speak
evil.(blasphemeo, Greek 987, Strong’s Greek Concordance and Dictionary:
blasphemeo, blas-fay-meh'-o; from Greek 989 (blasphemos);”
To speak impiously means to speak sinfully. It means people can make fun or
condemn the members of the church thus attacking the body of Christ. Let us
recognize Satan’s attempts and be wise enough to evade him and remain
close to God.
Doug Clark
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This bulletin is constructed for teens and young adults. If there is any subject you would like to discuss,
simply contact me: Doug Clark
The Church of Christ
1835 Gaar Road
Richmond, IN 47374
phone 765-935-2911
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Last Week:
1) Of what does Satan’s natural language consist? lies (John 8:44)
2) Why did Jesus say Satan was a murder from the beginning? Satan’s lies temped Eve to sin and when
she and Adam sinned, death came into the world. (John 8:44)
3) Of whom does the Bible say it is impossible for this person to lie? God (Heb. 6:18)
4) What “tempts” a man? His own lust (James 1:14)
5) When it’s finished, what does it bring about? Death (James 1:15)
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This week:
1) Who does God through Isaiah pronounce woes upon? (Isaiah 5:20)
2) What are we not supposed to do for Satan? (Eph. 4:27)
3) What are we to abstain from? (1 Thess. 5:22)
4) Who keeps us from being “overly tempted?” (1 Cor. 10:13)
5) When we are tempted, what does God give us? (1 Cor. 10:13)
Answers in next bulletin
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